Venezuelan Journey
by Robert U. Simmons
updated by Laura Barbas Rhoden
Editor (1990): L. Curcio-Nagy
Editor (1998): Valerie McGinley Marshall
published by the
Latin American Curriculum Resource Center
The Roger Thayer Stone Center for Latin American Studies
Slide Packet No. 7
1990; revised 1998
Tulane
New Orleans, Lousiana
Venezuelan Journey
Regions of Venezuela
Located on the northeastern coast of
South America, Venezuela is a country of
geographic and human diversity. Six distinctive geographic regions exist in a territory
roughly the size of the state of Montana, and
the population enjoys one of the highest
standards of living in Latin America. People
live in each of the six regions: the coast,
Segovia highlands, Andes, Coastal Ranges,
llanos (plains), and the Guayana region.
The coast of Venezuela stretches over
900 miles along the waters of the Caribbean
Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Deltas at the
mouths of several rivers create swamps and
wetlands richly populated with wildlife, and
rocky expanses and sandy beaches also
punctuate the shoreline. The main city of the
coastal region is Maracaibo, the secondlargest city in Venezuela. Located on the
western side of Lake Maracaibo, the city is
closely tied to the petroleum industry. The
Bolivar oil field is located under Lake
Maracaibo and produces more oil than any
other. Some of the earliest offshore drilling
developed in this region, and the majority of
coastal industry is still petroleum-related.
The Segovia highlands are a region of
high plains and broken hills at the northeastern tip of the Andes mountain range. The
region is hot and dry, and most of the vegetation is short and scrubby. The Segovia highlands cover only 9300 square miles, and the
main city is Barquisimeto.
The northeastern extension of the Andes
chain ends in Venezuela, where it forks into
twin ranges surrounding Lake Maracaibo. In
some locations, peaks exceed 16,000 feet,
and the valleys in the range serve as sites for
VENEZUELAN JOURNEY
most of the towns in this region. The main
city is San Cristóbal, located in one of these
valleys near the Colombian border.
The Coastal Ranges are directly behind
the central section of the Venezuelan coast.
They run parallel to the coast, parted in two
halves by the Unare River Basin. The valleys
of this region produce agricultural products
for urban consumption and export. The
capital city of Caracas lies in this region, and
industry centers about this metropolis.
The llanos lie south of the Coastal
Ranges and are expanses of grasslands and
river systems. The cattle industry dominates
this predominately rural region dotted with
small towns. The Orinoco River forms the
southern border of the llanos.
The Orinoco River divides the llanos
from Guayana, a region further to the south.
Accounting for almost half of Venezuela’s
territory, Guayana consists of vast plains and
an area of broken mountain systems called
tepuis. The tepuis are noted for their sharp
vertical sides and plateau summits. The
topography of this region produces a number
of spectacular waterfalls, including Angel
Falls, the highest in the world. The southern
half of Guayana is part of the Amazon River
basin. Covered with tropical forests and
virtually uninhabited, the land is protected in
a series of state parks. There are no great
metropolitan centers in Guayana, though
Ciudad Bolivar does host a number of industries based on the mining of ore and bauxite.
There is also an important business in the
construction and maintenance of hydroelectric facilities.
1
History
Before the arrival of the Europeans,
various indigenous groups inhabited the
territory of Venezuela. These peoples had
varying degrees of contact with the Spanish
colonists that arrived after Columbus’ third
voyage, and indigenous traditions persisted
longer outside the Coastal Ranges. Spanish
presence was limited in the llanos, Andes,
and Guayana, and Indians in these places
were able to resist European domination.
In August 1498, Christopher Columbus
landed on the Peninsula of Piría and had his
first encounter with the South American
continent. However, at the time, he thought
he had landed on another island in the Caribbean chain. The discovery of pearl beds led
to an interest in the coast, and by 1500
rumors of gold inland led conquistadors to
begin extensive exploration of the coast and
river regions. In the 1499 expedition of the
Gulf of Venezuela, Alonso de Ojeda saw
native houses supported over the water by
poles and was reminded of Venice. The new
region thus received its present name of
Venezuela.
From 1528 to 1546 Venezuela was in the
charge of German bankers. King Charles of
Spain and Francis I of France were engaged
in a bidding competition for the title of Holy
Roman Emperor, and in exchange for funds,
Charles gave the Germans an indefinite lease
on Venezuela. The Germans soon began
large-scale exploration of the interior of
Venezuela in search of economic opportunities.
By 1600, after countless expeditions
that encountered resistant indigenous
peoples and hostile physical conditions,
Europeans returned to the established centers on or near the coast. Agriculture became the main source of income for the
colonists, and the region supplied the grow2
ing European demand for cacao and coffee.
The increased economic activity required vast
amounts of labor, supplied by Africans transported to the Americas and forced into slavery. The slave trade reached its peak in the
mid-1700s, but slavery endured in the territory until independence was won from Spain.
In the early 1700s, the Bourbon monarchs of Spain made an effort to promote
economic growth in order to secure more
revenue for the Spanish Crown. As part of
this program, the Crown began to allocate
charters to companies for economic development, and one of the most successful of these
was the Caracas Company in Venezuela.
Formed by Basque entrepreneurs in 1728,
the company was successful economically
but faced hostility from the local colonists.
The Basques held a monopoly that excluded
all others, not only peninsulares (Spanish
people born in Spain) but also criollos (Spanish people born in the Americas). In 1749, a
rebellion against the company was
squelched, but the company eventually lost
its monopoly in 1789. However, the conflict
that arose among the inhabitants regarding
the company left a legacy of resistance that
would later prove important in the independence movement.
Francisco de Miranda led the first major
independence movement in 1806. Miranda
was an exceptional individual and an acquaintance of George Washington, Alexander
Hamilton, William Pitt, and Catherine the
Great. He served as Major General in revolutionary France in 1792 against the forces of
Austria and Prussia and was one of the
earliest proponents of the ideology of panAmericanism. However, both of his attempts
to liberate Venezuela ended in failure.
Soon, though, the rise of Napoleon
dramatically altered the political situation in
Europe, creating in the process favorable
conditions for Latin American independence.
VENEZUELAN JOURNEY
When Napoleon invaded Spain and usurped
the throne of Ferdinand VII, Venezuelan
nationals formed a junta loyal to the deposed
king and governed the colony in his name.
During this time of political uncertainty,
Miranda returned with the blessing of the
junta, and Bolívar accompanied him to stir
the independence movement in Venezuela.
Simón Bolívar expressed at an early age
a radical ideology contrary to the conservative one espoused by his wealthy Caracas
family. He was well educated, and many of
his teachers contributed to his revolutionary
views. On his third trip to Europe, Bolívar
met Francisco de Miranda in London, and the
two men shared enthusiasm for Spanish
American independence. Bolívar later became commander of two abortive attempts to
liberate Venezuela from Spanish rule.
Though these first efforts were failures,
Bolívar did eventually lead the successful
expedition of 1821. He then set out from
Venezuela to liberate the rest of the continent from colonial rule and eventually
brought independence to Colombia, Peru,
Ecuador, and Bolivia.
Bolívar envisioned a unified Latin
America named the “Gran Colombia,” but
this never materialized, and the “Liberator”
ultimately lost all the political power he had
enjoyed in the regions he freed from Spanish
rule. Ambitious local politicians had less
lofty aspirations than Bolívar, and their
territorial interests conflicted with his grand
plans. The years following independence
became a period of strife and political turbulence as various regional leaders competed
for supremacy.
After the breakdown of Gran Colombia in
1830, Venezuela enjoyed relative peace and
prosperity under a coffee-growing, ruralbased Conservative oligarchy led by José
Antonio Páez. Conflict between Conservative
and Liberal factions eventually ended that
peace and led to intermittent civil war. GovVENEZUELAN JOURNEY
ernment instability in 1870 led to the rule of
Liberal Antonio Gúzman Blanco; he remained
in power until 1888. Following the overthrow of this dictator, Liberal-Conservative
conflicts continued until a band of revolutionaries descended from the Andes in 1899. A
period of authoritarian rule began, and a
succession of military figures governed until
1958 with only one interruption.
The central figure of the authoritarian
period was Juan Vicente Gómez, known as
the “tyrant of the Andes.” He exercised
despotic rule from 1908 until his death in
1935. During the Gómez era, Venezuela
underwent a transformation from an agricultural economy to an industrial, petroleumbased society. Organized labor also became
important during this period, and the first
major oil strike occurred in 1922.
After Gómez’s death, Rómulo Betancourt
created and built the Democratic Action
Party (AD), Venezuela’s first modern, massbased political party. The party introduced
major reforms during its time in office between 1945 and 1948. Opposition grew,
however, and the military overthrew the AD
in office.
A bleak period of political persecution,
corruption, and repression followed under
the dictatorship of Pérez Jiménez. Massive
protests in 1958 forced Pérez Jiménez to flee
from power and inaugurated the vibrant
democracy that characterizes Venezuela
today.
Venezuela continues to enjoy the benefits of democracy and petroleum-derived
wealth. The development of the oil industry
has brought Venezuela enormous revenues,
and these in turn have made possible social
and economic programs. Recently, though,
Venezuela has begun to confront the uncertain realities of a post-petroleum economy
and to implement alternative strategies for
development.
3
Slide Descriptions
1. Ritual dance. Native Americans in traditional dress perform a ritual dance. This particular dance precedes the planting of the corn crop.
2. Ritual dance. The three major indigenous communities in Venezuela are the Caribes, the
Arawak, and the Chibcha. Over 25 Indian dialects are spoken, but the majority of the
inhabitants of the country are mestizo (of mixed European and Indian ancestry).
Unassimilated indigenous communities comprise only 1% of the population, and these live
primarily around Lake Maracaibo and in the Orinoco and Amacuro river basins.
3. The Gran Sabana. Most of the Guayana region is dry. The majority of vegetation is shrubbery and grass.
4. Guide to the tepuis. To reach the tepuis, it is necessary to hike for a few days. Most
hikers hire a guide who assists in carrying supplies. This guide has an exceptionally heavy
load.
5. Mt. Roraimer. Mt. Roraimer is the largest and most famous of the tepuis. Located on the
border of Venezuela, Guyana, and Brazil, it is 9,094 feet above sea level.
6. Mt. Roraimer. It is possible to hike to the top of Mt. Roraimer on paths without using
climbing gear. However, the hike is extremely arduous and requires that the hiker be in
excellent physical condition.
7. Tepui plateau. The top of the tepui is a hostile environment of rock with sparse vegetation, some of which is specific to only that particular tepui. The meager vegetation atop
the tepui is often in sharp contrast to the forest floor thousands of feet below.
8. Waterfall. Waterfalls are common in the tepui region and are connected to several hydroelectric plants in the area.
9. Angel Falls. At 3,212 feet above sea level, Angel Falls is the highest waterfall in the
world. The natural wonder is named in honor of United States Air Force pilot Jimmy Angel,
who flew over the falls in March 1937.
10. Angel Falls. View of the entire falls.
11. Central Business District, Caracas. Caracas is one of the wealthiest, most cosmopolitan
cities in Latin America with a world-famous nightlife. Despite the glamour of certain
areas, slums and squatter settlements surround the city and house a growing number of
unemployed urban residents.
12. Downtown Caracas.
VENEZUELAN JOURNEY
5
13. Cable car. A cable car can be taken from the coast over the Coastal Range to Caracas.
Caracas has an exceptional subway system designed along the French model and reminiscent of the subways of Mexico City and Washington, D.C. Although the Caracas metropolitan area has some of the most sophisticated freeways in the world, the most common type
of transportation in Venezuela is bus travel.
14. Independence Day celebration. Venezuelan Independence Day celebrations take place
on July 5th.
15. Portrait of Simón Bolívar. Painting of the great Venezuelan hero and visionary.
16. Governmental palace. Venezuelan government is based on republican, democratic, and
representative principles. It employs a system of checks and balances similar to the
United States.
17. Government buildings. The legislative branch of government is based on a bicameral
system, with the Chamber of Deputies consisting of proportional representation. Presidents of Venezuela are elected to a term of five years.
18. Government building. Several parties compete in the Venezuelan political arena. The
two most successful parties are the Democratic Action Party (social democratic) and the
Committee for Independent Political and Electoral Organization (social Christian, known
by the acronym COPEI). In foreign relations, Venezuela has consistently tried to promote
democracy in Latin America. It has used revenue from petroleum to encourage economic
development and stability, particularly in Central America. Along with Mexico, Venezuela
agreed to sell oil at reduced prices to its poorer neighbors. Venezuela has had a relatively
stable and friendly relationship with the United States, though there have been open disagreements between the two states over United States policy in Central America.
19. View of the Orinoco River from Ciudad Bolívar. The Orinoco is 1,700 miles long and
forms part of the Venezuelan-Colombian border.
20. Naval station. Naval station on the Orinoco at Ciudad Bolívar.
6
VENEZUELAN JOURNEY
Questions and Activities
1. Divide the students into six groups. Assign each group a geographic region of Venezuela,
and have students determine the lifestyle of their region and the products they produce.
2. View the video Doña Bárbara, based on the novel by Rómulo Gallegos. Who is the protagonist of the story? Who is the antagonist? What similarities are there with the American West? Differences? Why did Doña Bárbara treat her daughter badly? It is often stated
that Doña Bárbara represents evil and barbarism in this story. Do you agree or disagree?
What is the relationship between the natural environment and the personalities of the
characters?
3. Obtain a copy of “Venezuela’s Island in Time” by Uwe George and published in National
Geographic 175.5 (May 1989): 526-61. Ask students to conduct a classroom discussion
about the article. Why is the flora on a tepui particular to that specific plateau? How
important is the constant existence of rain clouds around tepuis?
4. View the video entitled Simón Bolívar: The Great Liberator (40 minutes) distributed by
Films for the Humanities and Sciences. Discuss the figure and legacy of Bolívar.
VENEZUELAN JOURNEY
7
Additional Readings
Blank, David Eugene. Venezuela. Politics in a Petroleum Republic. New York: Praeger, 1984.
Cornil, Fernando. The Magical State: Nature, Money, and Modernity in Venezuela. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 1997.
Ewell, Judith. Venezuela and the United States: From Monroe’s Hemisphere to Petroleum’s
Empire. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1996.
Gallegos, Rómulo. Doña Bárbara. New York: Peter Smith, 1948.
George, Uwe. “Venezuela’s Islands in Time.” National Geographic 175.5 (May 1989): 525-61.
Lombardi, John V. Venezuela. The Search for Order, the Dream of Progress. New York:
Oxford UP, 1982.
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VENEZUELAN JOURNEY
This packet is made possible through the generous funding of the Tinker Foundation, Inc. and the Roger Thayer Stone
Center for Latin American Studies, Tulane University.
© 1990, 1998 by the Roger Thayer Stone Center for Latin American Studies, Tulane University. Permission is granted for
the reproduction of this packet for classroom use only.